- You might have noticed that today is February the 14th,
but don't worry, we're not about to get all romantic on you,
although, we did think that we could use Valentine's Day
as a great excuse to bring you some training suggestions
that are perfect to do in pairs.
- Yeah, so if you're not one for sitting in a restaurant
consuming overpriced food and drink,
whilst being surrounded by other couples
that are insisting they are having a great time,
then why not use this time to get some good quality training
and while spending some valuable time with your loved one.
- Exactly.
Well, whilst we were out
in the warmer climates of Fuerteventura,
we actually filmed some of our ideas
for swimming, cycling, running,
as well as a few others thrown in too.
(upbeat music)
- Now, we're always looking for ways
to make our swim training more fun and more engaging.
If that's you, then why not check out
one of our recent videos on how to make swimming more fun,
and whilst you're there, why not subscribe to the channel?
- Exactly.
Well, we've actually come up with some even more ideas
of how to spice up your swimming that involve a partner.
Let's take a look.
- [Mark] First off, we've got the synchro hand tap.
This stroke requires you to swim at the same speed
and stroke rate as your partner.
Push off side-by-side and time your recovery
so that the arm closest to your partner's
comes out of the water at the same time.
Aim to make a mini high five at the top of your recovery
before rotating away to the opposite side.
- How about drafting?
It's an important skill for open water swimming
and one that does require a bit of practice.
The great thing about this,
it helps you to swim faster for the same amount of effort.
In this case, if one of you is faster than the other,
then let the slower swimmer enjoy the advantage
by drafting on the feet.
If the difference in natural speeds is greater,
then have the weaker swimmer drafting off the hips,
if you have a lane to yourselves,
as this not only gives the swimmer more advantage,
it'll also slow down the strong swimmer,
hopefully meaning you can swim together for far longer.
You can also play around with the distance,
so if you've got one swimmer that's a bit weaker,
then maybe they can go off slow turnarounds
and do less reps, or alternatively,
you could shorten the rep for the weaker swimmer,
then hopefully, you'll still finish
at roughly the same time for each section.
- And of course, if you're swimming in the open water,
the stronger swimmer could just do a longer, larger loop
or do some upright kicking whilst they're waiting.
And of course, you can implement some drafting.
Well, it's rare that we swim
at the same pace throughout every swim session.
Doing different strokes, swimming with fins or a pool board,
using paddles, or wearing resistance shorts
will all affect your speed.
Use these tactics to even out your swim pace.
Say there's a large gap between you,
then one could wear fins and paddles,
whilst the other wears board shorts.
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- [Woman] Moving on to the bike,
and the obvious one is drafting.
Just like in swimming, it makes a huge difference,
even more so on the bike.
Get on the wheel in front.
If there's a headwind, it can have even more of an impact,
allowing the strong cyclist to do most of the work on front,
whilst you're both riding at the same speed.
- Now, this one might seem a bit extreme,
but I've heard a lot of success
from couples investing in an e-bike.
Perhaps, one of you loves cycling,
the other one maybe doesn't want to get hot and sweaty,
or you both love cycling,
but there's a big difference in ability,
then actually an e-bike can really help to level that out.
- Yeah, or a cheaper option, which allows you both
to cycle side-by-side, could be on static bikes,
and that way, the power difference
makes no difference at all.
It could be going to a spin class together
or maybe even setting up turbos next to each other
and then you can have some quality time together,
whilst not affecting each other's training.
And you could even go on to something like Zwift,
where you can ride side-by-side in virtual reality.
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- [Mark] But what about hill reps?
Sometimes, it's just best to get your training done outside,
so look at how you could alter that
to work for you at your different speeds.
Hill reps are great for this
so you can regroup after a session,
but you can constantly be passing each other
as you go up and down.
You could always change the distance
and one of you turn around sooner
so you always start together.
- Not all cycling has to be serious
and it can involve cake and coffee.
I think pretty much everyone enjoys cake and coffee,
hopefully not just me.
But if your partner maybe isn't so passionate
about cycling, then why not get them to come
and meet you at your coffee stop,
then you can maybe even cycle home easily together.
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- Well, there are several similarities here
with the bike training as we try to compensate
for different pace runners.
Well, the easy option, if you have a joint gym membership,
would be the treadmill.
Just like a turbo, it really doesn't matter
what the other person is doing,
you'll always be next to each other.
- Just as we're cycling, hill reps or any sort of rep
will work well 'cause if you're at different paces,
you can actually run to time,
and I quite like the 60 second interval.
When it gets to the minute, you both turn around
and you should end up at the same starting point each time.
- Well, I find that for an easy run,
I have no problem running with others
who have a different race pace or training pace to me.
Most people take their easy runs too fast as it is,
so go out and have a chat and make it super leisurely,
running at a pace that is comfortable
for the naturally slower runner.
But of course, if there is an extreme difference in pace
or perhaps, one of you just doesn't like to run,
then why not consider using a bike
to cycle alongside the runner.
- Yeah, I've actually had that situation
when a friend has very kindly cycled along with me
and it's brilliant for morale and just keeping you going.
And also, if you ask nicely,
they might take some good pictures
and maybe even pass you some nutrition.
Strength and conditioning and core exercises
are actually much easier to do together,
as obviously you're not covering a certain mileage,
but there's some exercises
which actually complement doing them together.
- Yeah, so we've actually got a selection here
that you can try for a bit of fun,
but with the added bonus of giving you a good workout too.
(upbeat music)
- [Woman] This first one is simply a Russian twist,
but sat side-by-side.
Use a weight or a medicine ball
to pass between you and your partner,
and whilst you're waiting, without the weight,
continue the movement in the opposite direction.
- [Mark] Then we've got plank high fives.
Get into a straight arm plank position facing each other.
This is basically patty cake, if you know what that is.
High fives on the diagonal.
Get a good rhythm going and it's a great distraction
from holding the tough plank position,
whilst adding another dynamic.
- [Woman] Now, staying in the plank position,
it's plank rotation and tap throughs.
In a plank position side-by-side,
and it's a rotation movement, again, with a hand clap.
This one does require a bit more coordination
and synchronized timing, though.
Make sure you swap sides and you keep it even.
- [Mark] Well, here's one that will make you giggle,
the wheelbarrow squat press,
and this is a full body workout.
Start in a wheelbarrow position
with one of you in a straight arm plank position
and the other holding their ankles.
You'll need to communicate here,
as when one plank holder bends their arms into a press-up,
the one standing needs to squat.
It might look a little bit funny,
but it's harder than it looks.
Make sure you swap roles so your arms and your legs
get the full workout.
- Finally, we've got hip flex-up push-downs.
I actually used to do this exercise in the squad
and it's a great one for firing up the core
and obviously, the hip flexors.
One of you lies on your back
and you hold onto your partner's ankles, and then,
if you're the one lying down,
your aim is to keep your legs as vertical as possible,
whilst your partner, who's standing,
pushes your ankles away and down in varying directions.
Try to keep the element of surprise
so it engages all aspects of your core.
The list goes on.
Sometimes, you just need a little bit of imagination
in order to make your training more enjoyable
and beneficial for the both of you.
- Yeah, and there are so many important parts
to training for triathloners
that are also so often overlooked, such as recovery.
Anyone can stretch and foam roll together.
And if you like, you can actually physically assist
the other person in stretching.
And if you're lucky, you may even get
a little massage out of them.
But do bear in mind,
you probably will have to return the favor.
- Yeah, I think you should.
And then, there's a final aspect,
which really should never be forgotten.
And that's, of course, refueling.
And I would say that eating has to be one of the most social
and enjoyable activities out there,
so you can obviously do that with your partner
and if they share the same passion,
then you can still even talk about triathlon.
- Well there are endless options out there,
so do let us know your favorites if you have any experience,
keep them PC, in the comment section below.
And don't forget to give this video a like
if you've enjoyed it.
And follow GTN on social media.
- So Mark, what have you got planned this evening?
- Um, just sitting around on my own, actually.